Albert l



(No Modl.) A. L. HITGHCOCK.

SNAP, HOOK.

.Pa'tented Feb, 7, 1888.

' Imam-0H #MXM N, PETERS. Piwlosubstantial departure from U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

ALBERT L. HITOHOOCK, OF PAWTUCKET, RHODE ISLAND.

SNAP- HOOK.

SPECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 377,559, dated February 7, 1888.

Serial No. 245,601. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT L. HITOHOOOK, of Pawtucket, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Snap-Hooks, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specitication.

This invention relates to adevice known as a snap-hook or mousinghook, which consists, in general, of a hook provided with a mousing piece or latch for closing the mouth of the hook, in order to prevent the same from accidentally becoming disengaged from the object hooked therein. v

In using tackle-hooks in hoisting and unloading it sometimes happens that the hook accidentally becomes unshipped from the bucket, which in falling endangers the lives of the operatives using the apparatus.

, The objects of my invention are to provide a very efficient and durable snap or mousing hook, which may be easily and quickly hooked and unhooked, and which will prove very safe against accidental unshipping.

To the aforesaid purposes my invention con-' sists in the certain combinations set outin the claims at the close of this specification, and which comprise the following mechanical partsnamely, a hook having a mousing or latch hinged to the bill of the hook and operated to close and open the mouth of the hook by means of a press piece or trigger located in the bend of the hook, and which is actuated by the pressure of the object hung in the'hook, the locking'device disposed upon the shank of the hook and adapted to engage and lock the mousing when in closed position; and, further, the invention consists in the constructional details of certain parts of the device.

In order that my invention may be fully understood, I haveillnstrated in the accompanying drawings, and will proceed to describe,the best form thereof so far devised by me, with the knowledge that such form may be modified in construction without, however, making a the spirit of my invention. I

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of my improved book opened, and

l Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central sectional view of the same closed;

In the said drawings like numbers of referthe fork is pivoted, by means of the pivot 9 set thereacross, the mousing or latch 10, which is provided with the extension or push piece 11, cast therewith, for operating themousingpiece. The mousing 10 acts to close andopen the mouth of the hook, as shown in Figs. 2 and 1, respectively, and is kept normally opened by means of the spring 12, which is fixed to the pin 13 and lies within the fork 8, so as to hold it up in the position shown in Fig. 1, wherein the push-piece extends along the bend of the hook, so as to be readily engaged by a body when swung in the bend, whereupon the push-piece 11 will be depressed, thereby closing the mousing and holding it closed until the body is removed therefrom,when the modsing will be forced into open position; The outward movement of the spring is limited by the stop-piece 14, placed across the fork 8.

In order to keep the mousing locked when in closed position, as shown in Fig. 2, I provide the locking-lever 15, which is hinged on the pivot 16, within the slot 5 of the shank. This lever is provided with the shoulder or projection 17, and is kept normally forced out of the slot toward the bill of the hook by means of the spring 18,which is mounted on the stud 19 and bears upon the back of the lever.

longitudinally slit or forked, as at 8, and in bear upon the back of the push-piece 11 and When the mousing is closed so that the end thereof strikes upon the locking-lever 15, the latter will be forced inwardly and the end of the mousing 10 will snap under the shoulder 17 and thus be held in locked position until the upper end of the lever is pressed uponby gether, when the mousing will spring into open position if the push-piece be free.

' In using the hook as a tackle-hook when', for example, the handle of a bucket is placed in theopen hook--the pressure of the handle hand, by grasping the shank and lever to upon the push-piece 11 will at once automaticallyforce the mousing into closed position, as in Fig. 2, and the hook will remain closed until opened by hand by taking the pressure ofi the push-piece and pressing the lockinglever into its slot.

The hook provides a safeguard against accidental disengagement, and may obviously be used for a variety of purposes.

Having thus described my invention, Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination, as hereinbefore set forth, with the hook formed with the slot or forked bill, of the mousing provided with the push-piece and pivoted within the slit or fork of the bill and provided with a spring for holding the mousing normally open, the push-piece projecting along the bend of the hook, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

2. The combination, as hereinbefore set forth, with the hook formed with a slit or forked bill, of the mousing provided with a push'piece and pivoted in the fork and provided with a spring, the shank of the hook slotted, and a spring-acted locking-lever pivoted in the said slot and adapted to automati' cally engage the end of the mousing when closed and to lock the same, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

3. The combination, as hereinbefore set forth, with the hook having the bill 7, formed with the slit or fork 8, of the mousing 10, provided with the push-piece 11, and pivoted at 9 within the fork, and the spring 12, engaging the push-piece, substantially as and for the purpose herein described,

4. The combination, as hereinbefore set forth, with the hook having the bill 7, formed with the slit or fork 8, of the spring-acted mousing or latch 10, provided with the pushpiece 11, and hinged at 9, the shank 4 of the hook formed with the slot 5, and the lockinglever 15, pivoted within the slot at 16 and formed with the shoulder 17, and the spring 18, engaging the lever, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

ALBERT L. HITOHCOCK.

Witnesses:

HENRY P. CLoUGH, JOSEPH A. MILLER, Jr. 

